The Justin Maxwell Option

The Yankees have a very balanced outfield situation, at least in terms of the 40-man roster. Their big league outfield is set with Nick Swisher, Curtis Granderson, and Brett Gardner, a three-man unit that’s been the best in the AL and arguably the best in baseball over the last two seasons. Zoilo Almonte and Melky Mesa are both on the 40-man but are still a ways off from being big league options. Then there’s Chris Dickerson and Justin Maxwell, the former of whom we saw quite a bit of last season. The latter is still very much an unknown.

Maxwell, 28, was having a dynamite season with Triple-A Scranton this past summer (.418 wOBA and 16 homers in 48 games) before he tore his labrum robbing a homer at the wall. He had surgery and his season was over before the calendar flipped to June, though he picked up some service time late in September when the Yankees called him up and immediately placed on the 60-day DL to free up a 40-man spot for Jesus Montero. When they needed to clear more 40-man space this offseason, they opted to release Greg Golson and designate Colin Curtis for assignment rather than dump Maxwell. That’s a pretty good sign that they think he has some value.

Chad Jennings spoke to VP of Baseball Ops Mark Newman yesterday, who indicated that Maxwell is expected to be healthy next season and has a chance to contribute off the bench. “He’s got some tools, and he’s a high-caliber individual who works,” said Newman, who isn’t kidding about the tools part. When Baseball America ranked Maxwell as the Nationals eighth best prospect prior to the 2010 season (the last time he was prospect eligible), this was part of their scouting report (subs. req’d) …

A physical specimen with plus athleticism, Maxwell has above-average power potential and a patient offensive approach. Nats hitting coach Rick Eckstein and first-base coach Marquis Grissom got the idea to lower his hands to chest level after watching video of other long-levered sluggers like Willie Stargell and Dave Winfield, and the adjustment fueled Maxwell’s September surge by getting him in a stronger position to drive the ball more consistently. He’s a plus runner who stole 41 bases in 50 tries last season. He’s also an above-average defender in center field with excellent range and instincts.

As wonderful as that sounds, Maxwell’s weakness has always been his inability to make consistent, quality contact. He’s drawn walks (14.6%), hit for solid power (.178 ISO), and been a threat on the bases (11-for-13 in stolen base attempts) in his 260 big league plate appearances, but he’s hit just .201 and has struck out 31.9% of the time. In 924 career Triple-A plate appearances, he owns a 12.4% walk rate (very good), a .192 ISO (also very good), gone 62-for-79 in stolen base attempts (78.5% success rate, pretty good), a .259 batting average (decent at best), and a 30.6% strikeout rate (very bad). The guy does everything but get the bat on the ball with regularity.

If the Yankees truly feel that Maxwell can help the team off the bench, his bench chance to do so would be as a defensive replacement and a platoon bat against lefties. He has shown a sizable platoon split in his limited big league time, and also demolished lefties in Triple-A this past season with a similar split throughout his minor league career. In a perfect world, the Yankees would just send Maxwell back to Triple-A this season with an eye towards the second half or 2013, but he’s out of minor league options. They can’t send him to the minors without first passing him through waivers, and that creates a bit of a roster problem.

When it comes to next year’s fourth outfielder, I think Plan A, B, and C should be Andruw Jones. He did everything the Yankees could have possibly asked him to do in 2011 — hit for power, draw walks, hit lefties, play average defense, contribute in the clubhouse — which was nothing more than a repeat of his 2010 season with the White Sox. If he wants to come back, and it sounds like he does, then they should welcome him back with open arms. However, if the Yankees drag their feet and Jones ends up elsewhere, letting Maxwell compete with a non-roster invite or two (Scott Hairston? Conor Jackson?) for the job is a pretty decent backup plan. He has some interesting tools, so they might as well see what he can do if Andruw doesn’t come back.

Why even screw around? Sign Andruuuuuw for peanuts then have Maxwell’s Silver Hammer as a fifth outfielder. With the LF who can barely slug, there’s room for another OF.

Oh right, they’ll insist on carrying a third catcher and 12 pitchers…

jsbrendog

there is nothing wrong with carrying a 3rd catcher when montero is penciled in to be your dh. you know the rules, right? that whole if you move your dh to the field then ythe pitcher has to hit?

Behind Enemy Lines

I find this very wrong. If Montero is ever going to be a catcher, he needs to actually catch. 20 or 30 games doesn’t do that. He needs 50-60, ergo no need for a 3rd. Carrying a 3rd for emergencies is dumb, especially since Girardi won’t treat him that way. Stash Cervelli and Romine in Scranton and if Martin gets hurt, you deal with it for that game then call one of them up.

thenamestsam

I agree with this. It seems to be a foregone conclusion that they’ll carry a third catcher, but I just don’t see how there can be enough playing time for that guy to justify it. Martin started 118 games at C last year. Even if they want to give him a bit more rest, he’ll get 110. If they think there is any chance Montero is going to catch long term, they’re going to want him to catch at least say 40 games next year. Of the 118 Martin started, he finished 108. So basically you’d be keeping a player on the team the whole year for 10 mid-game entrances and another 10 starts. That makes no sense. Just give the extra 10 starts to Montero. Of the 10 mid-game entrances, I’d guess most of them were pulling Martin for an inning or two in blow outs, so they could have been avoided (or since it’s a blowout you just give up the DH). So we’re talking about maybe 1 or 2 games a year where it negatively affects you losing the DH.

Unless the Yankees don’t believe Montero will ever be a catcher and just want him to be a full time DH next year I can’t see any point in having Cervelli on this team.

Ted Nelson

Yeah, I think it depends if they view Montero as a C.

I also don’t know that having Maxwell or Pena or whoever else on the bench is any more valuable than Cervelli.

thenamestsam

It’s true that your 25th guy isn’t going to see much time no matter who it is, but at least Maxwell (for example) can do a bunch of things, including some that are useful in close games. He can be a defensive sub in the OF or he can come off the bench to steal a base. Not likely to come up very often either, but it might swing a game or two. I can’t see Cervelli’s presence on the roster ever helping to win a game.

Behind Enemy Lines

This. Maxwell can also be used to stack the lineup against LHP. Go Montero at C, Andruuuw at DH, and Maxwell in LF.

If they’re starting Montero even one game, they need to give him 50. Otherwise, they run the risk of making a final call on his defense based on a very limited MLB sample. Of course, making that call now, when he’s still very, very young for a C, is absurd.

Ted Nelson

Cervelli has hit LHP better in his career than Maxwell. You can also go Cervelli, Montero, Jones against LHP.

Behind Enemy Lines

Wow, your MLB sample sizes are really something to behold.

Bubba

You are vastly underestimating the power of fist pumps. I think the fWAR and bWAR calcs are off the charts once fist pumps are included.

Ted Nelson

Again I don’t think he has to be on the roster, but Cervelli’s presence could easily swing a game should Montero be DHing and Martin get hurt. Maxwell is also a pretty marginal improvement as a pinch-runner over Nunez, so it’s going to have to be a game Nunez is already in. And he’s not going to replace Gardner and probably not Granderson defensively, so it would have to be Swisher or Jones.

I can see an argument either way. Maxwell would allow the Yankees to keep him in the org to see if he’s a future 4th OF while also allowing Cervelli some more development time in the minors which he never got much of. Then again Cervelli is a solid back-up C who would partially block Romine in AAA and Maxwell is fairly unlikely to significantly reduce his Ks at 29 years old. Could also try to leverage Cervelli into a young prospect and use only Romine as the C depth in AAA. Or could try to find a Mitre-Dickerson type move with Maxwell. Ultimately I think it’s too marginal to really worry a ton about. I certainly don’t find Cervelli on the roster “very wrong” as Behind Enemy Lines does.

Behind Enemy Lines

It’s very wrong when Girardi will see a need to start Cervelli to “keep him fresh”.

Cervelli should never be starting. His defense sucks too.

Maxwell at least could start games against LHP. Gardner sure as hell shouldn’t be.

Ted Nelson

Thanks, Plank. You know everything, huh? Cervelli has a career .362 wOBA against LHP vs. Maxwell’s career .335 wOBA. Should never, ever start but Maxwell is a good option against LHP… makes sense.

Try to actually research your points.

Tough Guy

So start Cervelli in place of Gardner in the OF? Real smart Ted. Try another strawman.

Tough Guy

Try actually researching your points further Ted. You can kill Maxwell in his whopping 100 AB’s against LHP’s in th emajors spread over 3 seasons, or you can dig further.

Ted Nelson

Try Cervelli at C and Montero at DH, Tough Guy.

I’m not trying to “kill” Maxwell. I’m saying that the available data does not back up the assertion that Maxwell is better at hitting LHP at the MLB level than is Cervelli. I am not saying Cervelli is definitely better, I am saying that he’s not definitely worse.

Tough Guy

But 145 AB’s in the majors is “proven” in Ted’s book. Even if it is with a .365 BABIP.

Ted Nelson

I never said it was proven.

You have said that Maxwell is a legitimate option for the Yankees lineup. In the available sample Cervelli is a better hitter. Yet you have said Cervelli is not an option.

Tough Guy

So neither are proven in your book. Starting Maxwell over Gardner vs. LHP’s is still an option in your book then. Very good.

Why are you making this into a Maxwell vs. Cervelli? They are apples and oranges.

Ted Nelson

This entire conversation is about Cervelli vs. Maxwell for the last roster spot. Why are you debating if you don’t even know the subject?

Tough Guy

So you rather have one less OF’er that would complement Gardner well because you think Jesus can’t catch? Who is Cervelli complementing? Why bring up a wOBA that is a SSS and aided BABIP then?

Tough Guy

You’re a mess Ted. You look like a fool

thenamestsam

I agree that it’s not very wrong to have him assuming Girardi would use him right (which is to say extremely little). I’m not sure he would. And I agree with you that it’s obviously extremely marginal one way or the other, but hell, the Yankees haven’t given us much else to talk about, so here goes:

I really can’t see Cervelli swinging a game. Let’s talk about the scenario. Martin gets hurt. Montero is DHing. Lets even say it’s extremely early since that’s obviously worst case. In one case we put in Cervelli and we have Cervelli for a whole game (roughly, I’ll just call it that for simplicity) at catcher and Montero for the whole game at DH. In the other situation Montero goes behind the plate and you lose the DH. Now you’re basically a NL team. If you’re in the bullpen at the time of the injury, no problem, because every available bench guy is a better hitter than Cervelli, and probably enough better to make up the defensive difference between Montero and Cervelli. If the injury is extremely early you’re looking at maybe 2 ABs for the starter and then pinch hitters. The pinch hitters are much better than Cervelli on offense, but the pitchers are much worse. You lose a bit on offense, and a bit on defense. So the absolute worst case scenario costs you almost nothing.

Basically my point is that even in most injury cases (I’d say after the 5th inning) you’d be better off moving Montero to C anyway. So really only a C injury in the first 5 innings in a game that Montero is the DH is a Cervelli situation. That is a very limited subset.

Ted Nelson

Cervelli was better offensively the past two seasons than either Nunez or especially Chavez was last season. So, there was only one bench guy that was better than him offensively last season.

Monteroisdinero

Montero is too tall, slow and unathletic to catch.

Sincerely,
Matt Weiters

Ted Nelson

Matt Weiters does not prove Jesus Montero can catch any more than Muggsy Bogues proves any 5’3″ dude can play in the NBA.

Can you please stop with that false narrative and consider Montero on his own merits?

There’s certainly an argument for Montero to C. You can make it without illogical, nonsensical statements about how one tall dude catching means another tall dude can catch. A lot of it depends on the C complimenting him at DH vs. the DH complimenting him at C.

And why do you even care if Montero catches? If he’s a great DH rather than a great C, who cares?

The Yankees didn’t C Montero much at all after calling him up, so there’s certainly a chance they don’t view him as an acceptable C.

Ted Nelson

And what makes the Weiters thing totally ridiculous is that Weiters was always seen by scouts as very agile behind the plate with good hands and a good arm. C athleticism isn’t the same as CF or SS athleticism. It’s about agility.

Behind Enemy Lines

“And why do you even care if Montero catches?”

Because a offense-first C is much, much more valuable than a good DH. One is extremely rare. The other is extremely common. If you bothered to look, one glance at the free agent lists of the last few years would tell you as much.

Ted Nelson

I have bothered to look. Johnny Damon, Matsui, Abreu, Vlad… these guys are available, but they are not good DHs. There were all of 3 full time DHs in baseball last season with wOBAs over .350. 4 over .330 vs. 4 under .330. Good DHs like Ortiz, Konerko (if he DHed), Dunn (if he hadn’t bombed) are a lot more expensive than a good C like Russell Martin.

And C defense is becoming more and more recognized as having measurable value in the sabermetrics community, which has always been the assumption in the baseball community. If you bothered to read my comment you would notice that I specifically said there’s an argument for Montero to C. That it depends whether DH Montero + C X or C Montero + DH X is the greater overall combination.

Behind Enemy Lines

Um, no. Russell Martin, and his performance last year, fell into their laps at his price point. At DH you could have a revolving bag of good enough, including people already on the team, than dedicate the “position” to one player.

A C who hits is extremely rare. You’ve named four good enough DHs. Name one free agent catcher of the last five years who hits.

C defense is still vastly over rated because of guys like Girardi and Scioscia. Mike Napoli and even Jorge Posada say hello. Just because Martin frames pitches well doesn’t make him worth keeping if his offense is barely sufficient.

Ted Nelson

Is this Plank’s new handle?

Your appreciation for subtlety appears to be zero. I have specifically said that I agree a strong offensive C can be valuable. I have simply said:

A. that defense is also valuable… so a strong defender who can also hit a bit like Martin + Montero at DH can be more valuable than Montero at C with a decent DH
B. DHs are not as plentiful as you suggest… get A-Rod DHing and you have to find another 3B… Nunez has promise but the guy was below replacement last season, Chavez wasn’t much better… your team is weaker with those guys than Martin, IMO.

I never said that C who hit aren’t rare. Again, I have agreed. I said that baseball is not only about hitting. Defense is important even if you somehow think that runs scored are more important than runs saved. Martin isn’t a great hitter, but he’s decent. Same with Yadier Molina, who could like Martin be a free agent next winter.

Behind Enemy Lines

Keep moving the goal posts, why don’t you? The fact is, putting Montero at DH all year kills his ability to be a C long-term. Learning to catch in the majors is the steepest learning curve there is, short of learning to be a starting pitcher.

Finding a DH every year is almost a no-brainer. If they fail in January.February, they easily have three guys who could fill the role.

Ted Nelson

I am not suggesting that he DH in 2012 and then move to C later. I am suggesting that they might want him to DH his entire career.

Again, someone like Johnny Damon does not fill the DH role. He hits like Martin or Cervelli without providing defensive value. Guys like Matsui, Vlad, Abreu hit worse.

Thanks for your nice warm comments Ted. Since you are the jury, judge and critic of all on this site, let me say that I have stated tons of times that Montero, in my humble opinion oh sagacious one, is/will be more than adequate as a catcher and I thought they were protecting his bat/health for the post season. Alas the binder only got him 2 at bats in the playoffs.

I think Montero should catch 40-50 games. Montero throws well enough, frames well enough and has a decent and improving pop time. In his 22 year old season, i think he will surprise the naysayers on his “D”. Everything gets magnified in Yankeeland so the margin for error will be less of course.

David, Jr.

The more I think about it, the Yankee actions this offseason point to them not trading Montero and looking at him as a Catcher. They would have a key position locked up for a long time with a homegrown, cost controlled player, which fits exactly into the new plan.

He would be a prime trading chip in a young for old but too expensive for another team deal, but the Yankees aren’t going to do that.

David, Jr.

Conversely, if they didn’t look at Montero as a catcher, he likely would have been traded already. That is unless he doesn’t have much value, which I doubt.

Ted Nelson

If he DHs they’d also have a position locked down with a cheap player. They certainly may see him as a C (or if nothing else be willing to try it to see how it goes, as well as how Romine develops and how Martin plays in 2012/what the market for him is), I just don’t see not trading him as conclusive proof.

Ted Nelson

All I said was stop with the Matt Weiters stuff. Matt Weiters is not Jesus Montero.

I have no problem with you saying Jesus can catch and arguing it on it’s own merits. I don’t understand why you keep insisting that Matt Weiters proves Jesus can catch.

David, Jr.

You are exactly right, Ted. It proves nothing. It would be like saying that Mauer proves that somebody that tall catching would lead to knee problems, which would be equally nonsensical.

Monteroisdinero

It refutes the argument that if you are tall, slow and perhaps “labeled” as unathletic you can’t catch. Montero is not the tallest or slowest catcher ever and taller/slower catchers have done very well in mlb. As a big fan of his, I just want to stop that argument in its tracks. I think his hands, arm, brain and agility will be more than adequate. There is something to be said for in game experience and being coached. These two variables will make him a better catcher than he currently is.

Most bases are stolen on the pitcher. Just don’t throw it to Granderson.

thenamestsam

As Ted says it only refutes it in the same way that Nate Robison refutes the argument that people 5′ tall can’t play in the NBA. If you speak in absolutes there is almost always something to refute you. Would you feel better if everyone said that because he is tall, slow an unathletic it is extremely, extremely unlikely that he can catch, rather than impossible? My point is that one counter-example only refutes the idea that it’s impossible. It doesn’t make it likely.

Ted Nelson

The argument has never been that all tall slow foot-speed guys can’t catch (most Cs are slow, in fact). I haven’t seen scouting reports that Joe Mauer (healthy) or Wieters can’t catch well.

The argument is that if you lack agility you are going to have a very hard time catching well.

That’s why I don’t understand your point. You are strawmaning the argument against Montero by using Wieters as an example. People aren’t saying Montero can’t catch because he’s tall and lacks run-jump athleticism. They’re specifically saying they think he lacks catcher athleticism. That he’s awkward in a crouch, lacks agility, etc.

I have not seen a scouting report questioning Wieters’ agility. All the ones I’ve seen praise it. I have not seen an analysis of Montero other than yours that doesn’t question his ability to catch well.

JU

They could probably get away with that, but u know they will never “risk” it. Not to cry over spilt milk, but this is why I wanted Ryan Doumit. He could have played corner OF & 1B – switch hitter with power off the bench. He would have been able to catch in an emergency, and Montero would act as backup C and DH. U would have had an emergency 3rd catcher but he would actually be useful in other ways, unlike Frankie Fist Pumps.

Ted Nelson

Who knows if Doumit would have signed on for a bench role with the Yankees vs. what might be a more significant role with the Twins, though…

Greg C

If Montero is the primary starting DH, wouldn’t the “3rd catcher” really be the 2nd catcher? Two catchers and a DH that also catches ( and then the starting catcher or one of the old OFers plays DH). Wouldn’t they just being using the same roster space as going with a DH and 2 catchers ( if they have 3 guys that can catch)?

Yes. But it should also be a guy who can step in and start if needed. That’s Andruuuuuw, not Maxwell.

With Gardner able to play LF and CF, they have great coverage. Why screw that up by depending on a guy like Maxwell to start if any of the starters go down.

If Andruuuuuuuw want’s a two-year deal, give it to him. It will also provide coverage if Swisher leaves as a free agent.

pat

That’s what I was insinuating. No need for a 5th OF when he’s doing the exact same thing as the 4th OF and the 4th OF brings teh veteran presents.

Behind Enemy Lines

Not exactly. A 5th can slide into an occasional start. With only 4 OF’s they lock themselves into certain configurations. For instance, against LHP, Montero can only start at DH if Andruuuuw has to play the field. A guy like Maxwell at 5 makes it possible to start all three.

Of course, Nunez could always DH….

Dan 2

Just move Gardner to center where he belongs and his numbers improve tremendously versus other centerfielders. Granderson’s numbers versus other leftfielders are fantastic too.

JU

Exactly Dan2. It’s about maximizing the value of your players. There’s a “limit” to how good of a LF u can be, in a sense. Granderson would still be a top LF defeder, but now UR getting incredible range in CF with Gardner.

I am not the droids you’re looking for…

Sifting through his stats, the silver lining is that it seems like he *might* figure it out some day if given the proper batting coach and tweaks – large or small – to his hitting approach. Not saying he will, nor trying to minimize the giant problem he has with K’s. And maybe I’m hoping beyond reason. Still, I wonder.

jsbrendog

this is the guy who spent time with arod and mimmicked his stance right? show me sumfin maxxie

Yank The Frank

I saw Maxwell last ST and thought I was watching ARod then all of a sudden saw ARod running around in his gym shorts. It was weird.

Jones hit righties last year. I would be concerned should Maxwell become the starter for a spell (and it is almost certain the fourth outfielder will start a bunch of games).

Otherwise, I would endorse Maxwell for fourth outfielder.

Behind Enemy Lines

Exactly, Maxwell is better suited as a 5th. At the 4th he slides into a starting role should an injury hit. That’s not good because they face RHP 2/3rd’s of the time. They need depth. Andruuuuuw provides that.

Gonzo

Never get Valley Fever. Check.

Fernando

LOL, I say NO to Conor Jackson too.

tomaconda

“THE” Justin Maxwell!

Matt DiBari

Just sign Andruw. No need to screw around with Quad-A players if we don’t have to.

Behind Enemy Lines

I really don’t know why they haven’t. It’s not like they’ve been busy this off-season…

Matt DiBari

Also, I’d like to think the Yankees can walk and chew gum. I’m not sure why pouring over a list of bad starting pitching options precludes them from signing Jones today.

Behind Enemy Lines

Exactly. If they can throw $12M at Marte and Feliciano, they can give Andruuw that for the next two years. Against LHP, imagine Montero at C, Andruuuuw at DH, and Maxwell in LF.

Ted Nelson

Jones might not want to sign. He might want to look for more playing time and/or more money elsewhere.

Matt DiBari

Oh, of course. I was just basing that on the idea that both sides want back and the Yankees are waiting for starting pitching to materialize

MannyGeee

which is completely stupid, because ST AND 4OF are needs for 2012… you are not robbing Peter to pay Paul here.

JohnnyC

It might be Jones’ choice. After all, Yankees didn’t sign him until January 20th this year. I’m sure it’s Andruw who’s exhausting all possibilities before signing with New York. He would still like an everyday job. Pays more as well.

Steve (different one)

Conversely, aside from giving us something to talk about, why does it matter if they sign him now or in 3 weeks?

Matt DiBari

If they sign him now, they have him. If they wait three weeks while trying to decide if Edwin Jackson is a terrible idea or merely a bad one, someone else might sign him.

Not that Andruw is Ted Williams or anything, but I’m really not in the mood to see if it really is just awful luck that Maxwell is a 28 year old AAA player. That has Andy Phillips written all over it.

Neo

I think I’m aging myself but every time I hear this guys name I start singing…

Bang! Bang! Maxwell’s silver hammer
Came down upon his head.
Clang! Clang! Maxwell’s silver hammer
Made sure that he was dead.

Gonzo

Great song. I’ve heard that in my head a couple times too.

Jumpin’ Jack Swisher

Not aging yourself. The youngins around here need to learn something every now and then.

Cris Pengiucci

+1!

David, Jr.

The excitement over this possibility is enough to make one shake.

neo

I think I’m aging myself but every time I hear this guys name I start singing…

Bang! Bang! Maxwell’s silver hammer
Came down upon his head.
Clang! Clang! Maxwell’s silver hammer
Made sure that he was dead.

neo

stupid newbie submits same comment twice… sorry about that.

http://jukeofurl.wordpress.com Juke Early

Luckily you weren’t singing it twice, or Michael Jackson’s estate lawyers would be chasing you down for performance fees… ;-)

Jumpin’ Jack Swisher

ARod gets starlets while Maxwell’s Silver Hammer gets Scranton’s scraps. If Alex would share the wealth a bit, you’d see the hole in Justin’s bat disappear.

I’m a fan of keeping guys like this stashed around forever and a day, and its why I miss Andrew Brackman already.

pat

Not gonna lie, that little cutter thing he was throwing around 92 mph looked pretty solid. SSS of course.

Fernando

If Jones signs, there really is no role for Maxwell. Effectively, Nunez is the 5th OF as the Yanks have no problem playing him there.

Dan

It doesn’t really make sense that the Yankees would carry both Jones and Maxwell since they both do the same thing well and would most likely only see time against LHP. If they carry a 5th OF, it should be someone who hits RHP. It seems more likely that they kept Maxwell in case Jones leaves, but if Jones re-signs it would seem like they would try to find a potential trade for Maxwell since he does have some value.

http://riveraveblues.com Rich

It could very well be they haven’t sighned Jones yet cause they’re waitint to see if they’re going to sign Cespedes. If that’s the case it’s bye bye Andrew.

http://riveraveblues austinmac

Maxwell struck out 40% of his at bats last year in the minors. Maybe in the majors he could go for the magic 50% strike out rate.

jack

Have said before that Maxwell could surprise many and be another Swisher with much more speed, younger and dirt cheap. Project this year’s numbers to a full season and check it out. He could very well be the one who could replace Swisher in 2013. Should give him a chance to win the spot unless Andrew Jones can be got for under 2 mil and 1 yr.

Bronx Byte

If Andruw Jones wants a penny more than the $2 million he got from the Yankees last year, he should be told to hit the bricks.
He can sit and do nothing for the next 3 years and still get paid by the Dodgers.

$3,200,000 (Andruw Jones) (est) ($3.2M/year, 2011-14)

Behind Enemy Lines

He’s been worth 1 WAR each of the last two years. Given his ability to step into any OF slot, that’s plenty valuable, and more valuable than the lefty specialists they keep wasting dollars on.

Give him a two-year deal at $10M and be done with it.

YANKZ1FAN

What are you people talking about?!? Justin Maxwell? You people are so hypocritical!! Talking about Jorge Vazquez all you people say is that all he does is strike out….he is not a ML hitter. But when you talk about Maxwell, you talk like it is ok that he strikes out. I don’t care how fast you are… it is still a walk back to the dugout after you K!!! Last year he struck out every 2.4 ab!!!! If you say Vazquez is not a ML hitter, then Maxwell is definitely not a ML hitter, so how could you put him on a ML roster?!!? He is not that good of a fielder! His ZiPS for CF and RF are avg. His projection for 2012 is 121k’s in 295ab’s!!!! And a .207avg. Oh yeah, he should be in the bigs. Vazquez ZiPS show him at average at 1b with a .235 avg and a lot of power. Using the ZiPS if you gave him 560ab’s with the Yankees he would have 32hr and 106rbi. YES, that is a Major League hitter!!! I will believe the calculated ZiPS projections over you people who have no idea any day. Fine, say Vazquez doesnt belong in the ML’s, but dont then even suggest Maxwell, that is rediculous!

JohnnyC

It’s Hannukah, don’t go all verklempt on us.

YANKZ1FAN

Oy Vay!!!

I am not the droids you’re looking for…

I’d agree a touch more with your histrionics if these guys played the same position. But since Vazquez plays 1B/DH, an area where the Yanks are currently oversubscribed and will be for the foreseeable future in all likelihood, I don’t see any particularly compelling argument for giving Vazquez a shot. Not saying I love Maxwell, I just don’t think one is necessarily an argument for or against the other given their different potential fit on the overall roster as currently constructed.

Maybe Vazquez should take some time shagging balls in RF?

Jumpin’ Jack Swisher

My wife and I are members of the local food co-op. One day, while working the register, my wife notices she was ringing up Fred Mogle of WYNC, to which she asked him “are you Fred Mogle?!?” His answer was, “my mother would be very proud right now.”

CJ

Austerity. We like andruw jones but not “at that price”

Jumpin’ Jack Swisher

I think you try to resign Andruw, but the world doesn’t end if you wind up with a different fourth outfielder. Besides, the world already ended when the Rangers won the Darvish bidding. It can’t end twice….or can it? :)

Jim Is Bored

With no more Golson, I nominate Maxwell as Monteroisdinero’s 2nd favorite player.

Monteroisdinero

Nah. I’ve seen Maxwell in ST, Scranton. He looks like a thoroughbred but I don’t think he plays like one. There was a ST game in Sarasota that I went to last year- the Yanks started their 80M+ infield and the outfield was Maxwell in left, Golson in center and Mesa in right. Much better athletes in the outfield and Golson (of course) threw out a runner at the plate.

sigh

Dan 2

I know that most here want an All Star at every position, but you could do a lot worse than platooning Dickerson/Maxwell in right and trading Swisher for a pitcher.

chicadeek

Waste of time arguing about Cervelli and Maxwell. They will have no impact on the team. Concern yourselves mainly with starting pitching. Yanks have enough offense and a good defense.

Monteroisdinero

Well Yu know, we are talked out about that issue.

23553

I’ll always remember Maxwell hitting a walk off grand slam on the last game of the season for the Nationals. Otherwise, he’s ok, but nothing great.